Navigation

Gennimata, Androulakis head for center-left leader poll runoff

PASOK leader Fofi Gennimata secured a clear advantage at the first round of elections for a leader to the new center-left party on Sunday, but will have to contest a runoff with runner-up Nikos Androulakis a week later, while voter turnout exceeded expectations.

With some 83 percent of the votes counted, Gennimata had a 42.5 percent share and Androulakis, a member of the European Parliament and former secretary of PASOK, collected 25.2 percent.

Athens Mayor Giorgos Kaminis was third with 13.5 percent and To Potami leader Stavros Theodorakis got 9.8 percent. They have both congratulated Gennimata for her result, with Theodorakis asking her to make the most of the high turnout in this election.

According to the committee overseeing the vote, headed by Nikos Alivizatos, over 210,000 people across the country and in several countries abroad cast their ballot for the process. Alivizatos had forecast a turnout of 180,000 voters.

Many polling stations had to remain open after closing time to serve the queues of voters and the candidates said this high participation is testament to the people's will for political change.